


Petrichor

by dietplainlite



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/F, Reyva
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 09:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8139751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dietplainlite/pseuds/dietplainlite
Summary: As Rey becomes accustomed to the staggering variety of her fellow humanoids, one face begins to stand out.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [convenientcave](https://archiveofourown.org/users/convenientcave/gifts).



Before her time on the Resistance base, Rey had never been around more than ten humanoids at once. Most of them had looked much like her, so she never realized that their variety could match that of all the species of sentients she’d ever encountered on Jakku.

Skin tones from alabaster to violet to honey to the night sky.  Hair colors in the same range.  Hair textures from silk to cloud and eyes and lips and noses of every shape and size.

At first it’s verwhelming, but soon, one face begins to stand out. Golden skin and big dark eyes framed by swooping, perfect eyebrows. And a mouth that makes Rey blush to think about.  Its owner had licked a drop of honey off that perfectly full bottom lip one day in the mess hall and Rey had had to excuse herself, mumbling something about checking in at the greenhouse, leaving a nearly full tray of food behind.

She’s thinking about it now, sitting atop the _Falcon_ making some mods to the sensor dish. She’s also thinking about the graceful curve of a neck and the jaunty way this person wears their flight suit.

“Need some help?”

The wrench slips from Rey’s hand but she reaches for it with the Force and stops it just before it bounces off the edge.

“You okay?” the voice says.

“Yeah.  Um. Yeah. And no. I’m almost finished here.”

“Oh, alright, well—“

“Do you want to come inside for tea?” Rey shuts her eyes and waits, mortified.

“Um, sure.”

“Alright give me one second.”

Rey looks down at her white vest, streaked with grease stains.  Her face is probably not much better and her hair is falling down but there’s not backing out now.  She walks to the edge of the ship and jumps down, landing a few feet from her guest.

“Stars!” Jessika says.  “Is that not hard on your knees?”

“Oh. No, I have a little help,” Rey says, praying that Jessika doesn’t get that look that other people get when they’re reminded of her powers.

Jessika smiles. “Must be nice.  What kind of tea do you have?”

“It’s from Gatalenta? One of the General’s friends sent it to her.  I haven’t tried it yet but it smells great.”

“Oooh.  You’re in for a treat,” Jess says as she follows Rey up the ramp.  “We managed to go on one off-planet vacation when I was little and we went there.  I still remember how good the teas were even though it’s been years.”

“That’s like these sweets I had once when I was little. A spacer from some core world—I don’t remember which—handed them out one day to the children at the outpost.  I managed to hold onto three of them, after fighting off some other children, and giving one to a child who’d lost all of his, and hiding the rest from Unkar Plutt.  I’ve probably had tastier candy since then but I can still remember them.  They were sweet and sour and a little bit spicy. I held onto the last one for three years before I finally ate it.”

Rey scoops the fine blue powder into two mugs and pours hot water over them.  She hands Jessika a small whisk and takes one for herself. As they whisk the tea, the galley is filled first with the scent of earth after a rain, then with a bright, citrusy scent, and finally, a warm, dark sweetness.  Jessika inhales and takes a sip.

“Is it as good as you remember?” Rey asks.

“Better,” Jess says, eyes closed and smiling.  “I remember my mother brought home a packet and we had it on holidays for a couple of years after.  It tastes like my mother’s hugs.”

Rey takes a sip. The flavor blooms in her nose and fills her head with its fragrance. It’s warm without being punishing, and sweet without being cloying.

They finish in silence, lost in their own heads.

“Now that I think about it, I bet I know where those candies came from,” Jess says as she takes her mug to the sink.  “Chandrila. I swear I’ve had something like it before.  I bet we could track some down, or have someone bring some back?”

“Oh,” Rey says, nervous again, as she still gets so often when people are kind. “If it’s not any trouble, I suppose.  But what if they don’t taste as good as I remember?”

“It won’t ruin the memory, I don’t think,” Jess says.  “And they may taste better.”

Rey looks at Jess. Her face is still remarkably beautiful, almost perfect, but she no longer wants to flee, even as Jess licks a few remnants of tea off her bottom lip. 

Jess reaches out and swipes at Rey’s chin with her thumb, holding it up to show a smudge of blue.  “Gatalentan teas are great, but they can be a little messy.”

Rey’s hands tremble only a little as she wipes her mouth with her napkin.

“Do you know how to play dejarik?” she blurts into the silence.  Immediately, she wishes that one of the smuggling compartments would open up and swallow her. 

Jess, however, beams at the suggestion. “My brothers and I used to play.  It’s been _years_.”

“Good, because I’m not fantastic at it yet, so maybe we’ll be evenly matched.”

Jess looks down and then back at Rey with a sly wink.  “Yeah.  I hope so.”


End file.
